Thursday, December 19, 2013

The magnificent structure known as the ‘birdcage’ Bandstand is a Grade II listed building of architectural and historical importance. It stands prominent on Brighton’s seafront and commands excellent views of the coast. It was designed by Phillip Lockwood and completed in 1884.

Monday, September 9, 2013

There ought be a health warning with this book - I found it so enjoyable, I couldn't put it down and I therefore sat reading all day instead of going for a walk.

I really enjoyed "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and couldn't wait to start reading the sequel. In my opinion, this second book of the "Millennium Trilogy" is even better.

We get to know more of the enigmatic Lisbeth Salander who is wanted by

the police in connection with some brutal murders. Of course, our heroine (if we can call someone that has been labelled a raving, sociopathic, murdering, satanist, lesbian a heroine) is eventually found to be innocent of the crimes. More than that, we get to understand more of why Lisbeth is the way she is.

There are other interesting characters, both good and evil including the other main character from the first book, journalist Mikael Blomkvist.

This book is full of excitement and twists and turns and I can't wait to read the third book in the trilogy. What a shame that the author Stieg Larsson died before writing further books. I'd love to read more about Lisbeth Salander!

My wife bought this book about ten years ago having heard a review on Radio 2. She enjoyed reading it and so did I. More than that, it inspired us to move to Spain. I must admit, though, that we didn´t entirely follow in Chris Stewart's footsteps - working a farm in the

Alpujarras sounded like much too much hard work so we relocated to the coast instead.

However, intrigued by Chris Stewart's book we began to explore the Alpujarras and during the last eight years have spent many enjoyable days in that delightful region.

Recently, I reread "Driving Over Lemons" and still found it a funny, heartwarming book. In fact I enjoyed it more the second time around because I have visited some of the places and seen some of the things described - hillsides covered with olive and almond trees; the Moorish influenced houses that appear to cling precariously to the mountainsides; the acequias designed to bring water from the high Sierra to irrigate the crops and much more!

However, this book isn't your normal travelogue - it is an autobiography of an eternally optimistic Englishman starting a new life in Andalucía. It is a great read that describes both the highs and the lows of starting a new life in Spain.

Bob finishes the chapter of Peter James’ latest thriller and reluctantly goes indoors to help his wife.

***********************

It is often like this when I read Peter’s Roy Grace novels. It is as though the books are stuck to my hands with superglue, which is most appropriate in the case of “Dead Man’s Grip” because one of the murders in the book involves the ultra strong adhesive.

This book is totally gripping. As usual, most of the action takes place in the vibrant city of Brighton and Hove. Student Tony Revere is killed which is rather unfortunate for the unsuspecting characters who are directly or indirectly involved in the fatal traffic accident. His American parents have Mafia connections and hire “Tooth”, a psychotic hit man to exact terrible revenge on those involved with their son’s death.

As with all the books in the Roy Grace series, the attention to detail is exemplary, especially police procedure – author Peter James’ painstaking research ensures that the police action is believable. His characters, too, are credible. There are the normal suspects – in this sense I mean Roy Grace’s team including sidekick Glenn Branson and the politically incorrect Norman Potting. Also featured are the threads from previous books including Roy’s girlfriend Cleo and his missing wife Sandy.

This is another addictive crime thriller and I particularly like the Brighton connection because I, like Peter James, grew up in the area.

I do, however, sometimes wonder whether the crimes are a bit far fetched. Or are they! I think I'll remain in Spain rather than return to my roots!

Spanish Steps – Travels With My Donkey by Tim Moore
A Review by Robert Bovington

I found this book annoying, often tedious, occasionally interesting and very occasionally funny. So why did I find the book annoying? Well to start with, various critics have described the author as humorous – inside the book cover, ‘Image’ described Tim as “Without a doubt, the funniest travel writer in the world”; the ‘Irish Times’ even hailed him as the new Bill Bryson. What rubbish! I find Bill Bryson so interesting and amusing that I have read all his travel books two or three times and even his other, more serious, works like “Mother Tongue” and “Shakespeare” are funnier and better written than Tim Moore’s book about his long expedition with a donkey. Like his journey, I found the book a long hard slog.
I found his writing style extremely verbose, sometimes undecipherable and often plain irritating – okay, the word ‘click’ may be military slang for a kilometre but I found the copious use of the word irksome. I found his humour often grated – too many puns and too adolescent. I certainly didn’t ‘laugh out loud’ but, to be fair, I did chuckle to myself on a couple of occasions. I didn’t mind, either, some of his ‘toilet’ humour, though there were too many references to donkey poo for my liking.
So what were the good points? Well, Tim Moore follows the travel writer’s ‘well worn path’ by describing many of the places he visits and supplementing this with quite a bit of history. He does this quite well. He also manages to get across to the reader the sheer scale of the journey – the good bits and the bad. Blistered, sometimes sun-scorched, occasionally rain-soaked, the author does a credible job of describing his 750-kilometre trek across northern Spain accompanied by a donkey.
I can applaud Tim Moore for completing the ‘Compostela de Santiago’ even if his ulterior motive was to provide material for a book. However, in my view, it is nowhere near the best travel book I have read. He may have walked the path of St. James but he is not yet fit to be mentioned in the same company as Washington Irving, Gerald Brenan, Ernest Hemingway or Chris Stewart – nor Bill Bryson.

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Half a century ago, in my school history lessons, I received a very blinkered history of Spain. It consisted almost entirely of the Spanish Armada, Christopher Columbus’ Discovery of America, the Inquisition, the Battle of Trafalgar, Catherine of Aragon and something about Francis Drake singeing the King of Spain’s beard at Cádiz. So, most of it was around the time of Ferdinand and Isabella and, yet, we children learnt nothing of the Moors occupation of Spain, let alone the conquest of Granada. Over the years, I have read a number of history books and all appeared to give a one-sided view of the ‘Reconquista’. Washington Irving’s "Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada” is a welcome departure from the norm.
Not only, in my opinion, is the book a jolly good read, but it appears to be a comprehensive history of the series of events and military campaigns that led to the expulsion of the Moors after 700 years on the Iberian Peninsula.
Washington Irving was something of a hispanophile and yet this book provides the reader with a somewhat balanced account of events. At times, he shows sympathy for the Moors – so much so, that he calls attention to the barbarity of the Christians and the prejudices and ignorance of the Spanish Court. He does this in the guise of “Fray Antonio Agapida”, a fictitious character who represents the monkish zealots of the period.
This is no work of fiction, however, though it reads like one. Irving carried out much research during his time in Granada and Seville including visiting the towns and villages that formed the backdrop for the events of this delightful book.
Robert Bovington
March 2011

Given that this book was written 500 years ago it is surprisingly readable. In fact, it is a thoroughly enjoyable and often comical read.
Maybe it is Edith Grossman's translation that has made it accessible to a reader who prefers Bill Bryson, Peter James and Dick Francis to great classical authors like Shakespeare and Dickens. However, untranslated, it must be a pretty good novel anyway because in many surveys it is considered one of the best books of all time.

Cervantes great novel tells the story of an impoverished country gentleman who, having read too many stories about chivalry, decides to become a knight errant. He sets out on a series of adventures - or possibly misadventures - in a quest to put the world to rights. The escapades of the absurd Don Quixote and his companion, Sancho Panza, are set in the La Mancha region of Spain.

Even if you only read one of the great classics of literature, I would urge you to read "Don Quixote" by Miguel de Cervantes and this edition would be recommended for English readers.

“Glories of Spain” was published in 1901 and describes the travels and adventures of Charles W. Wood and his friends, on a trip to Spain.
Despite the book title, the party only visited the east of the country. Nevertheless it is a thoroughly enjoyable read.
Charles W. Wood thoroughly describes the places he visits – Gerona, Barcelona, Montserrat, Manresa, Lerida, Zaragoza, Tarragona, Poblet, Tortosa and Valencia but, more than that he provides the reader with a thoroughly entertaining dialogue of the people he meets and their stories. And what an interesting bunch! They included former sweethearts Sister Rosalie and Father Anselmo who sacrificed their love for each other for a life in the Church and the hopeful reward of life together in Heaven; Ernesto and his mother; Salvador the Monk who preferred to live in a cave than the monastery at Montserrat and Monseigneur Delormais and his world-wide travels. Then there was the downtrodden night porter and his wife Rose aka the Dragon; Quasimodo and his beautiful music; blind Nerissa and her husband Alphonse; Loretta & her donkeys and more.
The author enthuses over many of the monuments he visits and provides the reader with detailed histories of some of the places.
Surprisingly, Charles W. Wood is not well known. Very little information was to be found about him when I researched using the Internet. His mother, however, was a famous author – Mrs Henry Wood wrote over thirty novels, the most famous being East Lynn.
Charles W. Wood did write other travel books including “Letters from Majorca” and "In the Valley of the Rhone. He should not be confused with another author of the same name – an American who wrote “The Passing of Normalcy”.
In summary, “Glories of Spain” is a delightful travelogue written by an Englishman in the late 1890s.

I have read a number of books relating to the Moors’ occupation of Spain including Washington Irving’s excellent “Chronicles of the Conquest of Granada” and “Tales of the Alhambra. “History of the Moors of Spain” by M.Florian is an even more comprehensive account, at times too much so. It sometimes reads like the Book of Genesis with its frequent mention of who beget whom. Despite the occasional tedium, the book is a well-constructed history. It also contains a great deal that I find interesting, particularly the description of the Alhambra and Generalife.
The book has four main sections corresponding to four distinct epochs. The first covers the period 711-750, starting from when Tariq-Ibn-Zeyad and his army crossed the Straits of Gibraltar, which marked the beginning of the Muslim domination in Spain. This period ends with the Umayyad Caliphs of Damascus being relocated in Córdoba. This first section of the book also includes events in Asia and Africa during the 6th & 7th centuries that led to the spread of Islamism prior to the occupation of Iberia.
The second section of the book includes the reigns of the Caliphs in the west: the third relates to the various small Taifa kingdoms erected from the ruins of the Caliphate of Córdoba. The fourth part covers the prominent events in the lives of the rulers of the Kingdom of Granada. It culminates with the final expulsion of the Moors from Spain and, of course, includes the fall of Granada in 1492.
French author M.Florian wrote the book in the 18th century but my Kindle version was published in 1910 and translated into English by an American lady whose name I haven’t been able to ascertain. Anyway, she did a good job and, all in all, this book is comprehensive history of the Moors in Spain.

About Me

Robert Bovington is an English writer of travel books. These include “Spanish Matters” and “Spanish
Impressions”

Robert Bovington was born in Brighton, East Sussex, the son
of Leonard and Audrey Bovington. He is the first-born and has eight siblings –
six brothers and two sisters.

Having worked for many years in both the telecommunications
industry and the teaching profession, Robert wanted to take on new challenges.
He and Diane decided to relocate to Spain and, in 2003, the couple moved to
Roquetas de Mar in sunny Andalucía. However, lazing on the beach was not
Robert's idea of fun - he wanted to explore his new homeland. It didn't stop
there! He was so impressed with Spain, its countryside, its historic
cities and its culture that it inspired him to write about his experiences.

Robert Bovington has been married to Diane for over thirty
years. They have no children. However, Robert’s short marriage to Helene
resulted in twin daughters Carole and Sheila. The author is also a grandfather
and great grandfather.

Robert met Diane when both belonged to the Crescent
Operatic Society. Music is one of the author’s great passions. At primary
school he sang in a choir in a concert of Bach and Handel. Another of his
interests is football and for many years he supported Brighton & Hove
Albion home and away. His favourite premiership team is Arsenal. Other
interests include information technology, writing and ten-pin bowling.